Victorian Secrets Chapter 1-5 Review

With in the first five chapters, Sarah jumps right in. She begins her story when her husband buys her an under bust corset from Timeless Trends. Reluctant of the negative vibes and comments she has heard, she pleases her husband to try it on. She wanted it off right after he laced her, but realized she liked the figure in the mirror. As her husband went left for errands, she had alone time to rethink about the corset. She noticed she ate less, her posture was better, and her migraines went away. When her friends come over to a gathering that night, she was showered with compliments.

As she continued to wear her corset at home, she began to learn the multitude of facts and history behind the corset. The myth of women breaking their bones was brought to my attention. I have ignored the fact that women did not brake their bones in corsets, but Sarah explains that the baleen of a whale thrives in water. From dehydration, the bones of the whale break, splinter, slice and shatter.

Now that we can no longer use any whale parts: oil for lamps and bones for corsets, corsets must now be made with steel metal "bones". Ive had plenty of moments that, instead of breaking, my bones would "pop out" from their casing. I feel that although the material we use today maybe different, women of the past and those in the present, still have the same "problems". Another view of "bones breaking" is the similarity of reeds breaking. Reeds or Cane, which ever you can to get a hold of, have to be warped or shaped straight in order to slide them between the channels when making a 18th Cent. Stay.

Cane/Reed

18th Cent rep. Stays

Sarah later makes a comment on how little connection the society of the 21st has in a day. Sarah and Gabriel have to help dress each other while wearing historical clothing. While getting dressed, she makes a comprehension that some person of the day would always have another hand at helping one get dressed. Today this physical connection or verbal connection from person to another is almost non existent. I know others who limit their public display of living and argue that there is no more connecting with people. I was once able to limit my txt messages and online time when I had a razor that had little to none. Now Im unable to wake up without checking my smart phone before crawling out of bed.

Chrisman became more comfortable in her corset that she began to try sleeping in it. She had a rough first night, but later her body became more agreeable with time. I know from experience that a corset is uber comfy and sleeping is just as comfy.

Chrisman brings up her mother often. She says that she gets her impressions of a corset from her mother and her habit of eating also was influenced by her mother. With the same expression of her mother brought up twice, I couldnt help thinking that she was some what dissing her own mom, but none the less I gave her mom the benefit of the doubt and continued reading.

Wearing a corset at any rate, does not live long. Like with any piece of clothing, wear and tear and they come to an end. Sarah's corset was now overlapping from the use, strain, and her waist getting smaller. Once again her husband went to Timeless Trends to buy her a second corset. Timeless Trends is by no means, what so ever, any way, historical, but they are well made, form what I can see. Whatever floats Sarah and Gabriel's boat, I couldn't say anything, for one, I dont know them, but my thought was in dread as I read that they went back to a site (not fit to my standards). But I kept reading.

Once again it was time to buy another corset, but this time Sarah explored other outlets. They found the price of a corset was out of their budget. If I was to meet anyone interested in buying a corset, I would speak up and express that one would save money with a better quality, more accurate corset that fits YOU rather than continually buying a pre-made off-the-rack corset. Not only would they be saving money, but the custom corset would feel amazing!

Sarah mentions that she never had a license, she always drove her bike to school. She saves money from not owning a car which would be insured and need more savings for repairs, she doesnt own a phone, and a television would be another payment that would spend their savings. A young couple with no children would easily be able to limit their savings, but I began to think on how or what I could live without. I have mentioned the phone situation previously, but I would be willing to go back to a prepaid phone for emergency and other verbal connections. Im not sure how close the city they live in was, but my boyfriend does not live or work in a 30 min bike ride radius from my house. A phone and a car are something that I can limit, but I could not take away from my daily life. What would you be able to use without to be more in-tuned with history?

Sarah and Gabriel Showing off their ride (Facebook photo)